How to Use a Foam Roller

Six pre- and postrun routines to boost flexibility and recovery.

If you use a foam roller only to rehab injured muscles, you're not getting the most out of it. A roller—which looks like a firm log—can be a valuable part of a healthy runner's warmup and cooldown routine, says Michael Clark, Ph.D., a physical therapist and CEO of the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Rolling improves circulation, which gets the body ready for a workout and helps it recover afterward. And because rolling breaks down knots that limit range of motion, it preps muscles for stretching. Try these routines, moving slowly and stopping and holding on tender spots.

AmazonBasics High-Density Round Foam Roller ($9.95 to $19.95)
Your standard foam roller remains a versatile choice for injury prevention, rehab, and even just for warming up muscles prior to running, but it may break down faster over time. Buy at amazon.com

Perform Better Elite ($12.95 to $24.95)
High-density foam lasts four years with a single user. But the firmer surface may be uncomfortable. Buy at amazon.com.

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